


A Moment of Quiet

by Gracefullblabber



Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: The Original Series
Genre: Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-07
Updated: 2020-12-07
Packaged: 2021-03-09 17:47:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,394
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27930238
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gracefullblabber/pseuds/Gracefullblabber
Summary: It had been a long week, and Kirk is unable to stay awake during his date with Spock. Real simple, real fluffy. Inspired by a post by deheerkonijn.
Relationships: James T. Kirk/Spock
Comments: 15
Kudos: 158





	A Moment of Quiet

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by https://deheerkonijn.tumblr.com/post/188048522109/when-you-have-a-date-in-the-observation-lounge-but

The week had been a busy one. Negotiations with the residents of Corvus V had wrapped up smoothly the day before, with their application to the Federation completed and ready for approval. Their royal council had even gifted Starfleet a large quantity of dilithium crystals. And most members of the crew had been able to take advantage of Corvus V’s natural beauty for a bit of shore leave. All in all, it had been an excellent and productive trip. The  _ Enterprise  _ had left the system the prior day, en route to Starbase 3 for delivery of the Corvus dilithium, and for some routine engine maintenance (which had been a stern request from Scotty). 

Seeming to follow in the trend of smooth sailing, that day had begun well. Kirk had arrived on the bridge for Alpha shift with a facade of enthusiasm that belied his exhaustion. While the negotiations had gone well, he’d been too busy for any relaxation, and had stayed up most of the previous night finalizing his report for Starfleet command. Stifling a yawn, Kirk spared a glance to Spock, who was carefully examining the instrument readouts. As usual. Hopefully the day would be equally uneventful and would leave him for enough energy for their plans later. His daydreaming was quickly interrupted by Chekov.

“Captain, we are being hailed by an incoming vessel.”

Kirk sighed, “Have they identified themselves, Mr. Chekov?”

“Negative, sir, only requesting immediate contact.”

“Very well, let’s see what these mysterious aliens want. Onscreen, Ensign.”

The viewscreen flickered into life, showing an alien who looked identical to those of Corvus V. Without waiting for the customary introductions, they immediately barked an angry order: “Starfleet, we demand the return of the dilithium you were given illegally. In addition, we order you to never return to our star system.”

Spock glanced at his captain and quirked his eyebrow, which Kirk acknowledged with a wry smile. To the alien, he responded “I’m sorry for any misunderstanding, but we obtained the dilithium from your royal council. As for not returning to this part of space, that will be difficult considering Corvus V has submitted an application for the Federation.”

“That is unacceptable! We do not acknowledge the rule of those usurpers! You will return the dilithium at once, or face the consequences!”

“Surely we can come to a reasonable agreement-”

A blast rocked the ship, interrupting Kirk.

“It would appear that they are uninterested in diplomacy, Captain.”

“Yes, Mr. Spock, your analysis is accurate as usual. Shields up!”

\---------

  
  


Far too many hours later, Kirk stumbled wearily onto the observation deck. Following their short firefight, the renegade Corvus V residents had agreed to have a more civil discussion. It hadn’t gone well. As Spock had so eloquently remarked “It appears that Corvus V is not as unified as they had presented to our negotiation party.” Which was a major understatement. Apparently the Corvidians were engaged in a silent civil war, and the royal council’s attempt to join the Federation was more of a tactical move than a diplomatic one. Corvus V was out of subspace range, which left Kirk to deal with the angry aliens. After hours of squabbling, he was finally able to convince them to leave the Enterprise alone by agreeing to reject the Federation application and return half of the dilithium. And now he had to completely rewrite his report before their arrival at Starbase 3. Which meant another sleepless night. 

“Captain.”

The soft voice dragged Kirk back to the present, and he looked into the darkened room to see Spock seated on one of the couches. The Vulcan looked at him with something almost like concern on his face.

“According to my observations, you have not had rest in 38.4 hours. That is not ideal for human efficiency or health.”

Kirk laughed, “Correct as usual, Mr. Spock. Unfortunately, being Captain sometimes means sacrificing both efficiency and health for the good of Starfleet.” He dropped on the couch next to his boyfriend and massaged his temples. “Now if only this damn headache would go away…”

“Shall I call Dr. McCoy for an analgesic?”

“No, that’s alright. It’s probably just stress and fatigue. And hunger, now that I think about it.” Kirk snagged an apple from the fruit bowl on the table and started munching. 

“If you require rest, perhaps you should retire to your quarters. We can observe the cosmos on a different occasion.”

“No! I would probably just pace around restlessly. Besides,” He took Spock’s hand and kissed him softly on the lips, “I’ve missed you the past few days.”

“That is hardly logical, Jim, as we have worked closely together all week.”

“You know that’s not what I meant. I missed this,” He rubbed Spock’s hand, “and this,” He brought the hand up and pressed his lips against it, “but mostly this.”

With his free hand, Kirk gently cupped Spock’s cheek and brought their mouths together. The kiss started slow and languid, but deepened when Spock tugged at Kirk’s hair to bring them closer. Kirk let out a quiet moan as their tongues met. The stresses of the past week began to melt away as he trailed his fingers down Spock’s uniform, and Kirk could feel the weight of command lift with each tug on his hair. Spock was about to suggest moving to their quarters when Kirk’s moans were interrupted with a large yawn.

“Dammit, cock-blocked by my own body. I must be getting old.”

“On the contrary, Jim, you are still quite young. I suspect your sleep deprivation is having a greater effect than you realized.”

Kirk smiled fondly at his boyfriend and snuggled into his side, resting his head on his shoulder, “You’re probably right. I’ll just close my eyes for a few minutes. If I fall asleep for too long, you can always carry me to my bed. Thank god for Vulcan strength.”

“My superior muscles do not come from an old Earth deity. But yes, I will transport you if need be.”

“Thanks,” He yawned into Spock’s shirt, “I still can’t believe you made ‘star-gazing’ sound so clinical.”

“Yes, I doubted your interest in the observation lounge was purely scientific. You’ve made your preference for low light and soft seats quite clear.”

As Kirk began to doze, Spock carefully shifted Kirk’s head so it lay on his chest; a logical action to prevent neck cramping. He glanced at the PADD on the table, but decided to eschew reading in favor of watching his lover sleep. There was something mesmerizing about how vulnerable he looked while asleep. Captain Kirk spent his waking hours leading the crew of the Enterprise into unknown situations and potential danger with incredible confidence and unerring bravery. But in times of peace and quiet, the bravado seemed to fade, revealing an ordinary man under the hero guise. It was this Jim, the one who seemed to exist in the breath between shifts, that Spock had fallen in love with. Though emotion was an anathema to Vulcans, love was the only rational response to Jim. 

Spock dropped a light kiss on his head as he watched Kirk shift in his sleep, snuggling closer in. He made a mental note to inform Dr. McCoy of Kirk’s sleep. The doctor might be illogical most of the time, but they both agreed that the Captain took poor care of himself. Getting Jim to slow down enough for sleep was a never ending task.

Their moment of peace was interrupted by the whoosh of opening doors.

“So I was telling him-” the Ensign said to her friend, before catching sight of the pair on the couch.

Spock fixed the Junior officers with a steely gaze, feeling a growl of irritation build in his chest.

“Er, we’ll find somewhere else, sorry Commander,” they said, before backing up quickly and leaving them alone.

Spock glanced down to make sure Jim hadn’t been woken up by the intrusion. Luckily he was still fast asleep, curled into Spock’s chest. In a few minutes, Spock would pick up Kirk and carry him to his quarters, as a bed was more ergonomically sound than a couch. But for now, he watched the slow rise and fall of his chest, and noted the small smile on Jim’s face. Yes, love itself may be illogical, but in this case, it was entirely rational.


End file.
